Zimbabwe Constitution Watch 3/2013

Veritas has permission to distribute this long awaited report. The draft constitution made available to Parliament has already been distributed by Veritas.

COPAC Narrative Report and Draft Constitution Presented to Parliament

When Parliament reassembled yesterday, Tuesday 5th February:

· copies of COPAC’s Report on the constitution-making process and copies of the final draft constitution were distributed to all members; and

· notice was given that today, 6th February, identical motions would be proposed, in both the House of Assembly and the Senate, in the following terms:

“That this House:

COGNIZANT of the fact that Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement provides that there shall be set up a Select Committee of Parliament to spearhead the drafting of a people-driven constitution;

ACKNOWLEDGING that the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders on the 12th April, 2009, did set up a Committee known as the Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee [COPAC];

REALISING that the said Committee did undertake and complete drafting the new Constitution of Zimbabwe as provided for in the terms of Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement;

MINDFUL of the fact that Article 6 of the Global Political Agreement further provides that COPAC must table the Report and draft Constitution of Zimbabwe before this Honourable House;

NOW, THEREFORE, ADOPTS the Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the progress and outcome of the constitution-making process; and

NOTES the draft Constitution of Zimbabwe tabled before it.”

The House of Assembly motion was in the names of COPAC co-chairs Douglas Mwonzora of MDC-T and Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana of ZANU-PF, and the Senate motion in the name of COPAC member Senator Tokhozile Mathuthu of ZANU-PF and COPAC Deputy Co-chair Senator Believe Gaule of MDC. This signified the commitment of all three GPA parties to the Report and the final draft.

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